Megan

Service Merit Medal (current form): Now back at work, so time for medals will reduce somewhat...

Order of Service Merit (current form) 4th Class:

Order of Service Merit (current form) 3rd Class:

No... it's just of all the official medals from around the world, Taiwan and the Philippines always look tacky compared to everyone else's designs. It's not the quality of the manufacture...

At least with websites, when new information comes to light it is easy to change... so I shall now get on to do some more... so the last 2 pictures I posted and your ones thereafter are the 1962 version....

Lovely.... But I am coming to the opinion that the South Koreans do not have orderly minds... this must be the most confusing, random and non-rational honours system I have attempted to document... ...and I'm rapidly running out of holiday to do it in. Back to work on Tuesday (even worse, they require us to turn up a week before we are actually needed so you end up hanging around doing nothing useful for the college and not able to get on with anything else either. Grrrr.)

A fine display. But do the actual medals look as cheap & tacky as they appear? Most look like they came out of cornflake packets.

Republic of Korea Medal (1st Class) Badge (as used 1949-67):

Order of Merit for National Foundation 1st Type (1949-67) Republic of Korea Medal (1st Class) Star:

Right - so these pictures are actually valid for 1967-71 - then the ribbon design but not the medal design changed, yes? Will scuttle off and amend things...

Here is the National Medal (3rd Class) of the 1967-90 era, a neck badge. There was also a star, but I don't have a picture of that.

And the 2nd Class (Presidential Medal) badge, also 1967-90 - both it and the 1st Class badge being worn on a sash:

Order of Merit for National Foundation Instituted: 27 April 1949, revised in 1967 and 1990. Awarded: To those individuals who helped to establish the Republic of Korea - not sure why it is STILL awarded, though. Services to the Republic, I suppose! Until the 1990 revision, it was awarded in 3 classes, thereafter 5. Not sure if anything happened to it in 1973 like most orders... Here's the 2nd Class (Presidential Medal) Star, as awarded 1967-90:

Where did you find those? I can feel some more web-searching coming on, then e-mails asking permission to use pictures!

As an aside, in Tangier in 1991 I noticed quite a few police officers had their shirts ironed 'Legionnaire-style' although it clearly was not mandatory. I wonder if they'd served in the Legion and the habit was ingrained... or perhaps it was a subtle way of bragging?

Right - that's the one I have a picture of as well... so I need to change my page to reflect the dates... and then try to find a high-quality picture of the current version (that's the hard part).

Thank you very much. Your advice has already been invaluable.

Very nice, Don. Would you be prepared to permit me to use your images on my site, please?

Order of Military Merit Hwarang (4th Class), version used since 1973:

Inheon (5th Class): At least these two look like they came from the same order! I have also amended my site (and the legends on yesterday's OMSA uploads) to reflect Don's comments - and he's earned himself an acknowledgement on my site for the help... keep it coming, folks!

Order of Military Merit, 1967-73 Hwarang (4th Class):

Thanks for the additional information, Don - will amend the page. It's getting to look like separate pages for 1950-63 and 1963-67 will be necessary! Do you have any pictures of the changed insignia? Or better ones of contemporary insignia than the South Korean government ones that you have used on your site?

Last one for today - my hand hurts! Here is the Inheon (5th Class), which - like the 1st & 2nd class stars - was added to the order in 1963, and awarded in this form until the inevitable revision in 1967. It is interesting how the design is completely different for each class - you'd never guess they were all from the same order if you didn't know!

This is the Hwarang (4th Class), as awarded 1950-67.

Now for the Chungmu (3rd Class), 1950-67 version.